- Fauci and two other task force members to self-quarantine
- Coronavirus – latest global updates
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Precautions against Covid-19 infection have been stepped up at the White House but are hampered by the cramped and poorly ventilated conditions in the West Wing, Kevin Hassett, a special adviser to Donald Trump on the pandemic response, said on Sunday.
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has been talking to Fox News Sunday about the Trump administration’s attempts to reopen and restart the stalled US economy, and whether there will be another huge stimulus bill. Democrats who control the House want one of those but the White House doesn’t – that’s the short version.
The White House is “absolutely pushing for a payroll tax cut”, Mnuchin says. Most observers think that is a non-starter, because Democrats won’t let it. Payroll taxes, meaning deductions from regular paychecks, include funds for Social Security and Medicare, vital social benefits.
Related: US job losses have reached Great Depression levels. Did it have to be that way?
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Democrats
Trump’s pick for federal court ‘too inexperienced’, Democrats say
Justin Walker, 37, is facing a Senate confirmation hearing as Mitch McConnell restarts push to confirm federal judges
A federal judge nominated to the nation’s second-most powerful court said on Wednesday that he was writing as an academic and commentator when he criticized as “indefensible” a supreme court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act.
Justin Walker, a 37-year-old protege of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, and the supreme court Justice Brett Kavanaugh...
Democratic primaries: three states head to polls amid coronavirus crisis – live
- Arizona, Florida and Illinois voters decide between Biden and Sanders
- Former vice-president is ahead in polling
- Democratic primaries results – follow the votes
- Democratic primary delegate count – latest
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11.43pm GMT
Bernie Sanders delivered remarks on the coronavirus crisis, predicting it would cost the US up to $2 tri...
Joe Biden takes big step towards Democratic nomination with crucial primary wins – live
Voters go to the polls in Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Michigan, Idaho and Washington state with the Vermont senator needing a boost
The Guardian’s Tom Perkins reports from a Sanders watch party in Michigan:
As results came in and showed Joe Biden’s lead widening beyond reach, Bernie Sanders’ Michigan campaign coordinator, Michael Fasullo, addressed supporters and volunteers, characterizing the night as “difficult” and “frustrating,” while underscoring what the progressive cause is up against.
“This work is not easy. If it was something that’s in the bag, then we would’ve had Medicare For All and a Green New Deal a long time ago,” Fasullo said.
Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang just endorsed Joe Biden while speaking live on CNN.
“The math says Joe is our prohibitive nominee,” said Yang, who joined CNN as a commentator after dropping out of the race last month.
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Biden and Sanders cancel rallies over coronavirus concerns – live
- Sanders and Biden call off Ohio events to heed public warnings
- Joe Biden aims to cement lead in crucial Democratic primaries
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10.28pm GMT
Asked whether Trump — a self-described germaphobe — would continue to shake hands with people amidst the spread of coronavirus, the vice president said he expects so.
“Well, ...
Super Tuesday: voting under way as Sanders bids to extend lead amid Biden surge – live
- Fourteen states vote in Democratic primaries
- Explainer: your guide to Super Tuesday
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My colleague on the west coast, Maanvi Singh, will take on the blog now as Super Tuesday voting - and related drama - continues. Later, Joan Greve in Washington, DC, will helm the blog as the polls begin to close and the results trickle in tonight.
Here’s what’s happened so far today:
The Trump administration is considering using a national disaster program to pay hospitals and doctors for their care of uninsured people infected with the coronavirus.
As concerns rise over costs of treating some of the 27 million Americans without health coverage, the government is looking for news ways to step in, a person familiar with the conversations told the Wall Street Journal. This would certainly be unexpected.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been in discussions about using that program to pay providers who treat uninsured patients with coronavirus, the person said.
Dr. Robert Kadlec, who is the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, also said Tuesday at a congressional hearing that discussions are being held about using the National Disaster Medical System reimbursement program.
Related: Coronavirus: health experts concerned US hospitals are not prepared
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Pete Buttigieg drops out as crucial Super Tuesday looms – live updates
- Democrat departs race after poor showing in South Carolina
- Full report: Pete Buttigieg drops out of 2020 race
- What is Super Tuesday? Your guide to the night
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The news of the Supreme Court taking up an Obamacare case is another reminder of how far apart the presidential candidates remain on the issue of healthcare.
Bernie Sanders has said he wants to create a government-run, single-payer healthcare system, which would eliminate the need for Obamacare.
The Supreme Court has announced it will hear a case on whether a part of Obamacare is unconstiutional.
The justices said they would take up the case in their next term, which begins in October, so a decision is not expected until after the 2020 election.
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Joe Biden wins South Carolina primary: ‘This campaign is taking off’ – live
- Former vice-president scores much-needed primary victory
- Biden tells cheering supporters: ‘We just won and we won big’
- Follow the latest results in our live South Carolina tracker
4.02am GMT
That’s it from me in Columbia, South Carolina. Here’s how tonight’s primary shook out:
3.52am GMT
There will be considerable debate over the next few days about what Joe Bi...
Bernie Sanders comes under attack as latest Democratic debate kicks off – live
- Opponents seek to slow Sanders’ momentum before Super Tuesday
- Bloomberg needs strong showing after last week’s poor performance
- Full story: Sanders braced for onslaught from rivals
Asked about his declining support among African American voters, Joe Biden expressed confidence he would win Saturday’s South Carolina primary.
Biden noted polls indicate he still leads the Democratic field with black voters. “I’ve worked like the devil to earn the vote of the African American community,” Biden said.
Elizabeth Warren has taken aim at Bernie Sanders tonight. It’s not the first time she’s tried to contrast herself with him, but it’s definitely her sharpest rebuke of the senator yet. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed:
That’s the most direct criticism @ewarren has ever laid at @BernieSanders: “I dug in, did the work, and Bernies team trashed me for it.”
Warren has had to figure out how to deal with Sanders for the entire length of the campaign — contrast without alienating mutual supporters. This answer tonight is the first true, direct attempt at that. This was a huge moment, no question. #DemDebate
Wow. Big moment.
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Elizabeth Warren has seemed to drop her truce with Bernie Sanders. She just said she did the work to fight banks and figure out how to pay for Medicare for all and Bernie’s supporters “trashed me for it.”
“I would be a better president than Bernie,” she said.
Nevada caucuses: crucial ‘first in the west’ Democratic contest kicks off – live
Saturday’s vote could be a make-or-break moment for candidates in the first state with a diverse electorate
- Bernie Sanders has invested big in Nevada. Will it pay off?
- Health, heat and deportations: the issues voters care about
At Sparks high school outside Reno, a group of Sanders supporters were the first to arrive hours before the caucus, encouraging voters to back the Vermont senator as they lined up.
Essie Richard, 73, one of the first voters to arrive. Supporting @JoeBiden. “I’m Biden all the way. He was Vice President for eight years. He has the experience.” Protecting social security and Medicare are most important to her: “I’m barely surviving.” pic.twitter.com/Ibb8YF6fVb
Naomi Zamarripa, 18, high schooler voting for first time: “I love his commitment. He’s been around for so long, he keeps fighting + stays true to his beliefs.” @BernieSanders will win, she said: “Nevada is the first state that has a diverse makeup, he appeals to a lot of groups” pic.twitter.com/btVEPFiCV6
As the caucuses get underway, social media streams are starting to fill with “first alignment” results from individual caucus sites. But what about the actual, official results?
Tom Perez, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, told reporters today that results will be released as soon as possible, but that the priority is, “first and foremost, to get it right,” according to the AP.
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